…grayblog…

Month: November 2004

  • News update

    • I think I have the beginnings of a cold – sore throat and general lacklustre status.
    • Yesterday, we bought a car – a 2000 silver Peugeot 306. If I’m lucky, I may get to drive it once a month – for me, it’ll be the handmedown 1992 Peugeot 106. Seriously, I think we got a good deal, having spent most of Saturday and a large part of Sunday morning trawling through used car dealers (limited choice, some expensive), used car supermarkets (big choice, very expensive) and the small-ads (good choice if you don’t mind travelling, and sometimes good value, but no warranty, servicing or extras). The car we have chosen comes to us from a small dealer and has actually been used by his fiancée – he had the V5 to show it has been in her name for quite a while. Only one previous owner, a very low mileage, brand new MOT and a service history at a Peugeot main dealer. He’s also getting a minor bump on the back bumper fixed and getting a new service at the dealer before we take delivery of the car this weekend.
    • Amsterdam was its usual hectic and mildly aggressive self. I can’t recommend the Botel floating hotel – although the location is great (right by Amsterdam Centraal station), the thin walls and ceilings mean the rooms are noisy. It was also particularly cold. However, flying EUJet from Kent International is a good thing – cheap and cheerful, yes, but cheaper and easier than EasyJet from Gatwick, assuming you have the means to get to Manston.

    UPDATE: it seems our new car is an import, so we may have problems with insurance.

  • Football woe

    I’m not talking about football at the moment.
    Anyone want to open a book on when Mark McGhee will leave for greener pastures?

  • Beach babe

    Hels in Cefalú harbour.
    my wife

  • Seedy

    You know, there was something about the markets in Sicily that set my pulses racing:
    sacks of beans and pulses in Syracusa market
    Off to Amsterdam for 24 hours. There will be more photos, I promise. And possibly more puns.

  • First ever WordPress problem

    I’ve got a WordPress problem, although not a major one. I’ve recently been swamped by spam comments, all of which have correctly been filtered out for moderation. However, it is now filtering all comments for moderation, including the legitimate ones, even though the filter-all option in set to "off". So your comments will not appear immediately, only after I’ve approved them. I am investigating.

  • Disgrace

    When will the Government treat the Diega Garcians with some dignity? The way that these British citizens have been treated in the past, and their continuing poor treatment by the British Government is nothing short of a disgrace and embarrassment.

  • Crossing the line?

    US blogger fired by her employer after putting pictures of herself in her uniform on her website. Not a terrible crime, you would think, but if you actually look at the blog itself and the images, which show her with her blouse unbuttoned to reveal her bra, and then consider the corporate image of the airline in a nation that is still largely prudish and conservative, then Delta’s decision is hardly surprising. Bloggers must continue to beware of their employer’s image and reputation if they write about their work on their site. Even those of us who are self-employed still must be considerate of our clients and suppliers.

  • House

    Forgot to say that Hels and I signed and exchanged all the papers and paid over a hefty sum of money on Monday for the new house. We will get the keys on the 26th. We’re immensely relieved that we are on the home straight now with the house purchase. If only we could make progress with the sale of Hels’s flat…

  • Double Dubya

    Well, it looks like George Dubya has won a second term in the White House. At least this time there seems to be no question over his victory, and with a Republican Congress, he should be free to act in an authoritative manner. Whether that is a good thing or not remains to be seen.

  • Honda?

    Weird Honda-sponsored rabbit and carrot game. Has addiction potential.